Kosovo: Breaking the Isolation

Organized by the Open Society Institute–Brussels and the European Stability Initiative, this panel will discuss the practical, economic, and social implications of current visa restrictions on Kosovo, and will explore the policy options available that will break this isolation.

The panel discussion, preceded by a presentation of the documentary Living in a Ghetto, produced by Forum 2015, a project of the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society.

The Western Balkans are moving towards their European goal. Visa liberalization is now a reality in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia following their fulfillment of a series of tough conditions. Bosnia and Albania have been given positive signals that after the summer they too will be added to the Schengen white list. Where does this leave Kosovo? Increasingly isolated within their own region and within Europe, Kosovars have been denied a process leading towards visa-free travel. They are forced to live in a physical and intellectual ghetto.

After viewing the daily impact on Kosovars in a brief film, the panel and following discussion will explore the policy options available to move beyond the isolation of Europe’s newest country.

Speakers

• Bajram Rexhepi, Kosovo Interior Minister
• Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament
• Luan Shllaku, Kosovo Foundation for Open Society, Executive Director
• Veton Surroi, Chair of the Foreign Policy Club, a Pristina-based think tank
• Ruud Van Enk, Deputy Head of the Kosovo Issues Unit, DG Enlargement, European Commission
• Besa Shahini, ESI Senior Analyst
• Heather Grabbe, Director, OSI-Brussels (Chair)

Venue

Crowne Plaza Hotel (Europa)
Van Gogh room
Rue de la Loi 107
Brussels